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Sunday's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 22 2012
Hrant Dink 5 years later
MÃ`MTAZER TÃ`RKÃ-NE
Wednesday was the fifth anniversary of Hrant Dink's murder. In protest
of this murder, large crowds took to the streets in major cities of
Turkey; crowds from different backgrounds, ethnic origins, faiths and
political groups.
What drove thousands of people to stage a protest march five years
later? Dink is not a symbol of Armenians, human rights defenders or
liberals. He is a phenomenon of the entire society. This phenomenon is
extremely important for a better understanding of present day Turkey.
The court that heard the Dink murder trial announced its decisions
after a five-year-long review of the case. But the ruling has not
satisfied any party. In a very unlikely and unusual move, the
president of the court expressed his discontent with the decision.
This was something very important to consider. In addition, the office
of the prosecutor found the ruling unjust and took the case to the
Supreme Court of Appeals. The involvement in the case of judges and
prosecutors as well as politicians including the president with
reference to the court's ruling showed that conscience has also been
influential in the process.
Turkey changed after Dink was murdered
I met Dink and we had a brief friendship. Despite the fact that we
were from different political backgrounds, I was impressed by his
honesty and integrity. I was deeply affected by his murder; I traveled
from Ankara to Ä°stanbul to attend his funeral. At that time, I
understood that this murder involved different dimensions that went
beyond the murderer.
The reason the decision did not satisfy the hearts of the people was
that it did not reveal the intricate illegal connections. Everybody
knows the murder was committed with the support and encouragement of
state officials and deep state figures, and that measures and
precautions were not taken despite information that he would be
killed. Likewise, everybody also knows that Dink was murdered to
incite turmoil within society and to lay the groundwork for a coup by
undermining the image of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
government. It has also become evident that subsequent murders
committed after the killing of Dink were part of the same plan. That
no politically motivated murder has been committed since the
initiation of the Ergenekon investigation in 2007 shows that the
serial killer was actually a clandestine organization within the state
apparatus. The failure to reveal the illegal connections and focus on
the relatively insignificant suspects in the case is a scandal.
The nation's eagerness to act decisively to remember Dink and the
extensive focus on the murder case shows that many things are being
done properly in Turkey. Dink was victimized by alienation in Turkish
society. This state of alienation started to disappear after Dink. The
death of Dink led to a reconsideration of ethnic enmities including
the Armenian issue.
I talk to a lot of people; young people who do not know Dink show
strong reactions to his murder. Dink became the saint and common
conscience of Turkey after his death, which shows that this incident
has transformed society. Five years have passed since Dink's death.
The court has issued its initial ruling, but the decision did not
satisfy the conscience of society. But today, people from different
backgrounds and beliefs who are unified over the memory of Dink are
reacting to this situation. With his legacy, Dink is making a
constructive contribution to the emergence of a more humane atmosphere
in Turkey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Jan 22 2012
Hrant Dink 5 years later
MÃ`MTAZER TÃ`RKÃ-NE
Wednesday was the fifth anniversary of Hrant Dink's murder. In protest
of this murder, large crowds took to the streets in major cities of
Turkey; crowds from different backgrounds, ethnic origins, faiths and
political groups.
What drove thousands of people to stage a protest march five years
later? Dink is not a symbol of Armenians, human rights defenders or
liberals. He is a phenomenon of the entire society. This phenomenon is
extremely important for a better understanding of present day Turkey.
The court that heard the Dink murder trial announced its decisions
after a five-year-long review of the case. But the ruling has not
satisfied any party. In a very unlikely and unusual move, the
president of the court expressed his discontent with the decision.
This was something very important to consider. In addition, the office
of the prosecutor found the ruling unjust and took the case to the
Supreme Court of Appeals. The involvement in the case of judges and
prosecutors as well as politicians including the president with
reference to the court's ruling showed that conscience has also been
influential in the process.
Turkey changed after Dink was murdered
I met Dink and we had a brief friendship. Despite the fact that we
were from different political backgrounds, I was impressed by his
honesty and integrity. I was deeply affected by his murder; I traveled
from Ankara to Ä°stanbul to attend his funeral. At that time, I
understood that this murder involved different dimensions that went
beyond the murderer.
The reason the decision did not satisfy the hearts of the people was
that it did not reveal the intricate illegal connections. Everybody
knows the murder was committed with the support and encouragement of
state officials and deep state figures, and that measures and
precautions were not taken despite information that he would be
killed. Likewise, everybody also knows that Dink was murdered to
incite turmoil within society and to lay the groundwork for a coup by
undermining the image of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
government. It has also become evident that subsequent murders
committed after the killing of Dink were part of the same plan. That
no politically motivated murder has been committed since the
initiation of the Ergenekon investigation in 2007 shows that the
serial killer was actually a clandestine organization within the state
apparatus. The failure to reveal the illegal connections and focus on
the relatively insignificant suspects in the case is a scandal.
The nation's eagerness to act decisively to remember Dink and the
extensive focus on the murder case shows that many things are being
done properly in Turkey. Dink was victimized by alienation in Turkish
society. This state of alienation started to disappear after Dink. The
death of Dink led to a reconsideration of ethnic enmities including
the Armenian issue.
I talk to a lot of people; young people who do not know Dink show
strong reactions to his murder. Dink became the saint and common
conscience of Turkey after his death, which shows that this incident
has transformed society. Five years have passed since Dink's death.
The court has issued its initial ruling, but the decision did not
satisfy the conscience of society. But today, people from different
backgrounds and beliefs who are unified over the memory of Dink are
reacting to this situation. With his legacy, Dink is making a
constructive contribution to the emergence of a more humane atmosphere
in Turkey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress